Pasture water option...opinions wanted

[judd-e]

I have 42 acre pasture. Working with NRCA on rotational grazing set up. Between these 2 options which would you choose and why?
1) use rural water 2) NRCA has plans to dig a trench from my pond into a pit, and from there use solar pump to pump to waterers.

the pasture will have 4 water points. The pond does not have stand pipe and is at the bottom of the gently rolling hill property.
I originally was going for the solar...but now leaning toward rural water. Location is northwest Missouri near Kansas City.
I don't fully understand the solar pump setup is one reason for my hesitation as well as potentially hard to find contactor for that project.
Does the solar require a tank at the top of the hill then gravity fed to the points. OR can it be pressurized to the water points?

I like the idea of no water bill...but have to reconcile that with on only 40 acres we are probably talking 15-25 head at most times of the year.

What would you do?
Thanks a lot
Justin

 

[Lee VanRoss]

I am glad you brought this up. I have toyed with the idea so long it is probably too late for consideration.
Hopefully someone will come up with some idea of a timetable for ROI. The 4 water points will surely aid in
a rotation system. Can I assume a waterpoint will service more than one paddock? (My paddocks change size
with almost every move!) For now I am going to set back and take notes.

 

[KAstocker]

Our rural water bill is expensive so I would definitely try pumping water from the pond.

 

[judd-e]

I am glad you brought this up. I have toyed with the idea so long it is probably too late for consideration.
Hopefully someone will come up with some idea of a timetable for ROI. The 4 water points will surely aid in
a rotation system. Can I assume a waterpoint will service more than one paddock? (My paddocks change size
with almost every move!) For now I am going to set back and take notes.

Yes we have 8 total paddocks so each point will service 2. Could have done 2 total points but that would put the water in the corners and I wanted to avoid the "trails" in the paddocks

 

[judd-e]

Our rural water bill is expensive so I would definitely try pumping water from the pond.

I am caldwell county, I have on my list to contact them for current rates

 

[anewcomer]

How many posts have we seen in the last 6-9 months describing hauling water to cattle or having to liquidate cattle due to dry ponds/tanks? Take a long time for that rural water bill to pay for that solar pump system. And it won't work if the pond goes dry!

 

[SmokinM]

If the pond has no stand pipe then I assume it has no in flow. Strictly springs and runoff? I would opt for the public water myself with a gate to access the pond in emergency situations.

 

[bird dog]

Is water in your area shallow enough for a well?

 

[fasttommy]

You can pressurize the solar water system with a pressure tank just like a regular pump. The alternative is to run a float switch wire from the pump to each tank, which will shut the pump off when the tank is full. The float switch wire isn't terribly expensive but the location of the pit compared to your tanks will dictate which is the better option. More likely the pressurized system will make the most sense.

Has your pond gone dry in the past? Is it pretty sizable or is it more "stock pond" size? Is there any other emergency water if the pond ever did go dry? I guess those question would lead you to the answer. I don't know much about rural water and how much that costs either. Solar pump and all the panels and batteries and other components will probably run a couple grand I'd guess.

Edited to add, if it makes sense topographically, you can pump the water to a tank on a hill then gravity flow to the tanks also as you suggested. In that case the float switch wire would probably be utilized. All depends how the whole system lays out though.

 

[Lee VanRoss]

You can pressurize the solar water system with a pressure tank just like a regular pump. The alternative is to run a float switch wire from the pump to each tank, which will shut the pump off when the tank is full. The float switch wire isn't terribly expensive but the location of the pit compared to your tanks will dictate which is the better option. More likely the pressurized system will make the most sense.

Has your pond gone dry in the past? Is it pretty sizable or is it more "stock pond" size? Is there any other emergency water if the pond ever did go dry? I guess those question would lead you to the answer. I don't know much about rural water and how much that costs either. Solar pump and all the panels and batteries and other components will probably run a couple grand I'd guess.

Edited to add, if it makes sense topographically, you can pump the water to a tank on a hill then gravity flow to the tanks also as you suggested. In that case the float switch wire would probably be utilized. All depends how the whole system lays out though.

I would offer that making sense economically would top making sense topographically although they may go hand in hand.
In any case I would try to avoid getting into a continual labor intensive situation,

 

[Brute 23]

I cant imagine 15-25 head even breaking the minimum monthly bill. Unless water is crazy expensive there is no way I would go through all that hassel. I would invest in a storage tank, preferably at the highest part of the property, to fill with water so just in case rural water has any upsets.

 

[Allenw]

They were promoting hook ups for fire departments at ponds a few years ago. You buried a line out into the lower part of the pond and had an upright on the bank to access the water and suck it from the pond. A set up like that sounds better then a pit to pump out of. You need clean water or your pump will cause more trouble then it's worth.

 

[TexasRancher]

Does your pond ever dry-up in the last 20 years (drought wise)? If not...I'd go with the well situated near the pond. You Do Not want to be at the mercy of a water department and metered water...just extra costs.
If it were my land...here's what Mr. Cheap would do. Rent or get a back-hoe and dig at a low spot near the pond...you can be 30 to 100 feet away from the pond's edge, try to get down at least 15 feet to 30 foot deep...20 is good enough....make it a nice large "U" scooped-up well. You can encased it with a galvanized culvert pipe with holes in it...if you're worried about the dirt ever falling back in (soft non-rocky soil). DO NOT connect the pond to the culvert well...water will find it's way in and back fill fine. Pond to well semi-isolation filtration is a better idea. Buy a $150. stainless-steel 4" well pump, 120vac and place it at the bottom of you culvert well...run 3/4" black water pipe from the well to all areas (straight line best just below frost line) of your 45 acre grazing paddocks with in-ground covered isolation valves for each sectional water tank. (you can meter the individual valves to fill all tanks at once!!!, and using level floats for cut-off on all tanks)
Now here's the best part...$200. 2kw emergency generator at your barn or feed center...just pull cord start it....and let the water fill the tanks while you're on site...once or twice a week. Minimal gas and minimal maintenance.
Sorry...i would not do solar or batteries on site...and i would not physically duct, trench and connect the pond to a deeper well. Make it and the land cleaner...let the pond be the pond and the easy culvert-pipe well be a well.

 

[TexasRancher]

I cant imagine 15-25 head even breaking the minimum monthly bill. Unless water is crazy expensive there is no way I would go through all that hassel. I would invest in a storage tank, preferably at the highest part of the property, to fill with water so just in case rural water has any upsets.

I paid $1,700. in 1995 ($3,400 in today's dollars) to punch under the road for a city water line w/ meter. Used it for a few years. Anyway they took the meter that was last used in 2020 by a leasee (if you don't use the meter for 3 months they pull it)...when i contacted them about getting water back-on (w/no delinquencies) was $400 for meter, $250 for service fee and another $125 jerk me fee...was like $800. to get the first drop of water...ahaha, told them nope, not going there. Satan is alive and well. It's better to be self-sufficient with water on your own property. What's happening in Texas with property taxes, insurance and water scams is headed towards your part of the country soon too. Local cities love money! ..once they see what's going on around them in bigger districts and other states (people talk)...they going to be shocked at how low and backwards their billing rates are and start increasing them yearly.
Oh...forgot to mention last year when i was auger-ing for a fence post...i hit a huge 2" water line and tore a hole in it. No water lines were supposed to be there...previously they told me they'd have to bring it across the road...but this 2" water line had been there for decades. Either they did not know about it or they just wanted to make some money. Needless to say i did not have to pay for the broken line. I think they knew i caught them in a lie or were happy to re-discover that 2" water line.

 

[Lee VanRoss]

I would think the water line that you hit would show up as an easement on the abstract or attachment thereto.
In any case you should be able to check with the County Engineer and get a genesis of the installation of the line
and any easements or compensations made and area serviced, In the interest of public safety I would consider engineering
(installing) of a 3/8 tee with a copper line to stock water just to prevent any possibility of excess pressure.

 

[judd-e]

Is water in your area shallow enough for a well?

Not sure

 

[judd-e]

You can pressurize the solar water system with a pressure tank just like a regular pump. The alternative is to run a float switch wire from the pump to each tank, which will shut the pump off when the tank is full. The float switch wire isn't terribly expensive but the location of the pit compared to your tanks will dictate which is the better option. More likely the pressurized system will make the most sense.

Has your pond gone dry in the past? Is it pretty sizable or is it more "stock pond" size? Is there any other emergency water if the pond ever did go dry? I guess those question would lead you to the answer. I don't know much about rural water and how much that costs either. Solar pump and all the panels and batteries and other components will probably run a couple grand I'd guess.

Edited to add, if it makes sense topographically, you can pump the water to a tank on a hill then gravity flow to the tanks also as you suggested. In that case the float switch wire would probably be utilized. All depends how the whole system lays out though.

It's about 3/4 acre and hasn't ran dry

 

[TexasRancher]

LVR> Actually thought of it, I was going to do 1/4" but 3/8" sounds much better..go for the gusto. After age 75 everyone can get a Free pass...I will do that "antique brass tap" then and make it look like a super old install...I know exactly where the pipe is...exactly 8' off my corner post. It'll be a free-and-clear stealth gift to the next generation of farmers. Doubt if construction docs were kept....but that would be my advice, never believe what people tell you...check the records.

 

[Lee VanRoss]

TR> as long as it 'in the interest of public safety' as well as something for the progeny. and no malice aforethought of course!

 

[rocfarm]

Can you not dig a well? Seems like the expensive option. But, the thing is, it's more of a capital investment and you'll get that back when you sell. Only thing that will eventually need to be changed is the pump, but those now last for 1000s of hours… The other options all seem like constant expenses. Not sorry I dug a well on my place. Would get back more than I paid to have it dug if I sold now, and it's only 7 years old or so…

The solar system is way more maintenance and will only depreciate. Rural water will only increase in cost every year….